Reading Tips for Busy People

Since starting university, I have really struggled to find time to read books. Three years in and I feel like I finally have it under control! Here are some tips that might help you find more time to read in your busy schedule…

Pick a book based on its size rather than what you want to read next.
You are probably like me and have a long list of books on your TBR list. I used to take a look at that list and pick the one I was most excited to read. That worked fine until I hit a book with around 600 pages. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get through the book. That’s when I realised, a busy schedule and smaller books are a great match! Rather than spending months trying to read one big book, I can now read a few small books a month and it feels great!

Read a page a day.
I went through a bit of a reading slump last year and this is how I got out of it. You can read that one page while you’re waiting for the kettle to boil or while you are brushing your teeth. One page a day is easy as it can take no time at all! This means that even on the busiest of days you can still say you read something.

Read before bed.
After a long busy day, it is so relaxing to just jump into bed with a good book and read for a little while. Even if it is just for half an hour, it is a perfect way to wind down.

Switch off the screens!
I recently became very aware of how much time I spend simply scrolling through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The worst thing is I found myself scrolling through posts I’d already seen! WHY did I just sit there continuing to scroll?! Eurghh, who knows? So I made a change. Every time I find myself scrolling for no reason, I switch off the screen and pick up a book. I feel so much better for it!

Carry a book on you.
Carrying a book/kindle around with you in your bag is a great way to read more. You might find yourself waiting for a class, a train or a friend. Rather than looking around idly or pretending to be on your phone you can read a page or two.

Set a goal!
This doesn’t need to be a huge goal like “This year I will read one hundred books!”. I mean a realistic goal for the next week or the next month. If you know that you have lots of deadlines coming up you know that realistically, reading two books a week is not going to happen. If I can read one book a month, I am happy.